The life of objects

Following the old adage that children should be seen and not heard Prajakta Potnis allows her work to show itself but their presence is not loud.

Prajakta Potnis8217; solo visits calmer territory with Zen like sculptures

Following the old adage that children should be seen and not heard Prajakta Potnis allows her work to show itself but their presence is not loud. Yet it is difficult to escape from the microscopic lens Potnis holds to each object that she paints or in this instance render as a sculptural object. Porous Walls is her latest body of work showing at the Guild Art Gallery, near Radio Club, till October 11.

8220;This show is really a compilation of all the work I was doing before and what I plan for the future. I dug into my college work and I revisited it. Then I took it a step forward where objects are centre-stage while paintings become almost a backdrop,8221; says the artist who began her journey as a painter, studying at the J J School of Art, but has broadened her horizons to include, installation and sculpture.

8220;Other mediums are an extension of what I do on canvas. It isn8217;t as different from my paintings, since it carries the same message and concerns,8221; says the artist whose third solo moves away from the fierce reds of Membranes and Margins towards a meditative white. 8220;I like making everyday objects fantastical. This show intends a fragility which is why I chose to model objects out of the glass bulbs and beads. Paper too has an air of the ephemeral which is why I choose it,8221; says the artist who recently showed her Membrane series in Seoul, Korea. 8220;At The Guild, I designed the show so one walks into the room where the artwork covers the roof and the floor. In Seoul, I directed viewers to view the installation through a keyhole thus making them voyeurs,8221; says Potnis whose marriage to fellow artist Justin Ponmany has enhanced her approach. 8220;It helps to have someone to share and critique your work.8221;

Accused of being overtly feminine in her choice of colours and objects, Potnis says, 8220;Yes femininity is part of my work but my language also comes from middle-class households where objects play a big role in determining one8217;s social standing,8221; says the artist whose penchant for the neglected and fungus-covered object has led her to make interesting discoveries.

The journey from painting to her current body of objects has been stressful. 8220;Making art is demanding one has to reinvent every medium you work with. I am glad it8217;s all in sync with practice,8221; she concludes.

The future holds a solo at Vadhera, in Delhi that8217;s slotted for January 2009. The there is a group show in Madrid, at the Arco fair, and another group show in Vienna.